About this episode

India Rakusen explores anxiety through the lens of losing a child in a park, examining its origins and effects on children and parents.

A moment of pure panic - losing a child in a park - begins India Rakusen’s exploration of anxiety: what it is, how it begins, and how it shapes both children and parents. Through science, history and culture, she learns how early sensory experiences, food battles, and modern parenting pressures feed our fears. And she explores how play, freedom, and the simple act of letting go might be our best cure. A story about holding on, and learning to release, in a world that asks us to protect what we cannot contain. Presented by India Rakusen. Producer: Ellie Sans Assistant Producer: Charlotte Evans-Young Executive Producer: Alex Hollands Commissioning Executive: Paula McDonnell Commissioning Editor: Rhian Roberts Original music composed and performed by The Big Moon and Eska Mtungwazi Mix and Mastering by Charlie Brandon-King A Goldhawk production for BBC Radio 4

People in this episode

Host: India Rakusen

Topics covered

• anxiety
• parenting
• child development
• sensory experiences
• modern pressures
• play
• freedom

Keywords

• anxiety
• parenting
• child
• sensory experiences
• freedom
• play
• modern pressures

Mentioned in this episode

Books & works: The Big Moon

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